James chapter 4 Part 1

After reading chapter 4:

*There must have been fights and quarrels happening among the Jews in the diaspora, because James feels the need to address them. He says they happen when people don't get what they want.but that is their own fault, says James. First, they didn't ask God. Second, if they did ask god, it was with the wrong motive-- personal pleasure. Isn't most of what we want for our personal pleasure? Maybe that's why the number of unanswered prayers far outnumbers the answered ones? Surely it can't mean there is no actual God who is listening with invisible and immaterial ears?

*Next James rebukes the readers for trying to be friends of the world (adulterous people, a term used for those unfaithful to the religion, adulteresses in the literal greek translation) which would make them an enemy of God. This echoes the sentiment in James 1:27 that they need to keep themselves from being polluted by the world.

*Verse 5 is strange. It says, "Or do you think scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?" (NIV) A foot note has two other possible wordings for that sentence. Plus, there doesn't appear to be an old or New Testament scripture that actually says that. In the different versions there doesn't appear to be a consensus as to who is doing the yearning, our spirit or God. If it is God, he is longing jealously for our spirit. If it is our spirit, it longs jealously but who knows for what.

*But it's all okay if the readers are humble and not proud. Then comes ten commands: 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist the devil. 4.Come near to God. 5. Wash your hands. 6. Purify your hearts 7. Grieve, mourn and wail. 8. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. (Cheerful lot, eh?)  9. Humble yourselves before the lord. 10. Do not slander a brother (fellow Jew).

*The last few verses expand the theme of slander and speak about those who would judge their brothers ( other jews). They are told only God has the right to be lawgiver and judge, so they need to back off. I'm guessing that was also a problem or James would not have mentioned it.

I am more than ever convinced that this book was written by a Pharisee. Read a Jewish description of Pharisees and their teachings. Jesus is only mentioned twice, and  is not even necessary, except to try to establish this letter as christian. The teachings of the first century Pharisees are fully compatible with the teachings of James.